Wash's Beginning
by Mokibobolink
Summary: A new pilot has joined Serenity and not all get along right away.But when Wash is injured in a botched job they must be able to set aside their differences and help.The tragedy also surprisingly shows Zoe just how she feels about the newest memberCOMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Hello All, _

_This here's my first ever Firefly/Serenity fic. I saw the movie for the first time about 2 weeks ago and I started writing this almost immediately. I have since rented the entire series and the episode "Out of Gas" shows a different beginning to the one I imagined. But I liked what I had so far so rather than change it all I decided to just keep with it. So I guess y'all have to take it as another possible version of the story of Wash's beginnings aboard the Serenity. Read and review, pretty please! _

_-Moki_

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"Wash!" Mal cried and was pleased to see a glimpse of blonde behind one of the canisters bob up. Quick reflexes in a pilot were something he looked for and he was glad to see his new recruit was fitting the bill. If only they were all this quick. Well then he wouldn't have to keep finding new pilots. Maybe this one would last a while, he hoped.

"Yeah!" Wash replied, keeping as low as he could to avoid the bullets zinging overhead. He sure didn't remember "must dodge bullets well" as part of the job description when he signed up with this crew. Since when did ducking bullets become part of this job? Jeez only two weeks aboard his new charge and already he was in fear of his life. Oh well, such is the life of an independent pilot like himself. Choose to not work for the Alliance and this was where you ended up, behind a barrel, figuratively and literally. He really was going to have to speak to personnel about this. Oh yeah except there was no "personnel", except for Mal that is. Somehow he didn't think Mal would give a gopher's butt about the complaint so Wash decided to keep his yap shut and his head down where it belonged.

"Prep the ship and wait for my command to disembark. We'll make quick work of these folks and be off on our merry way in just a quick sec" Mal said, smiling grimly as he quickly and easily dispatched another would-be pirate. Poor things, he almost felt sorry for them. They didn't expect his ragtag team to be so wily, he thought. This trade was supposed to go off pretty smoothly but he hadn't expected them to try and take the loot AND the money he and his crew had earned. The criminals (okay so yeah he could be called that too, but still) were now realizing just what a mistake they had made, too late of course.

Wash ran to the ladder on the bulkhead and started pulling himself up two rungs at a time. He was thinking of what parts of the take-off procedure he could shave off to save some time when someone kicked him in the back. Well at least that's what it felt like. Angry that one of those dogs would try to come after him when he hadn't really done anything (who went after the pilot? Wasn't that against the rules or something?), he turned with fists ready. While it was true that Wash would prefer to walk away from a fight rather than be in one, he could still hold his own when necessary and now seemed like a pretty "necessary" time.

"Come on!" he yelled to his as yet invisible assailant as he twisted around on the top rung "Come and get me!"

But as he looked back he saw no one behind him. Thinking that the man must have run off, Wash reached forward to pull himself up from the top step onto the walkway. That's when he felt the pain….. felt the pain and saw the blood.

"Uh oh"

It was all he could think to say.

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Mal shot backup fire for Jayne and was relieved when the bigger man bagged the final vulture. Zoe had already started dragging bodies to the hold door and together they tossed the trash back onto their own ship. Jayne closed the lock and they all breathed a collective sigh of relief. But the captain knew that the rest of that particular crew was on their way to help their wayward brothers and reached for his mike. They needed to get the heck out of there. Walking away from the other two, he called up to his new pilot.

"Wash, get us out of here real quick-like now" he said and waited for a response but only got silence back in return. Smacking his mike (Kaylee would kick him in he knees if she saw him do that but somehow he always thought a good smack made things work better) he called again.

"Wash!" he said and again waited. This time he heard a reply but something wasn't right. The sound didn't seem to be coming from the mike in his hand. It was like it was there in the room with him.

"Yeah….." a voice replied and Mal realized it was coming from above. Puzzled, Mal looked up and saw his new pilot above them on the walkway near the ladder. Mal distinctly remembered telling this man to get to his post. Many colorful words about disobeying a direct order came to mind and nearly came out of his mouth until he realized something.

Now Mal had noticed in the time the new pilot had been aboard that Wash had a tendency to wear wildly patterned (were they called "Hawaiian" or somesuch nonsense?) shirts and today had been no different. So now as Mal looked up at his pilot he took stock of what he was seeing and compared it to what he remembered the man to be wearing earlier. One thing was certain and that was that Wash's shirt hadn't been mostly solid red five minutes ago.

It was then that he looked Wash straight in the eye and noticed something he unfortunately had seen a lot in men's eyes throughout his life. Seen in the war and even many times since. Pain.

"Gorram it" Mal whispered to himself and ran up the ladder and onto the walkway to Wash's side. Wash had somehow managed to get himself up there and was now leaning against the bulkhead, unable to move any farther. A light sweat covered his face as he held his side with both hands. Blood poured through his fingers but Mal noticed that he didn't seem too keen to take a gander at it.

"Well, looks like you're trying to find an excuse not fly this trip. You know I usually wait a few months before giving new crew any vacation time. So if you want time off you can just forget it" Mal said with a quick smile of reassurance, deftly pulling aside Wash's hands and taking a look at the wound. One quick look told him that it was bad but he carefully kept his expression neutral. Though he found himself having an unbidden thought - maybe he was going to lose another pilot after all.

"Oh really?" Wash said breathlessly, falling right in with the joke, despite the almost unbearable pain in his side. Where had that wonderful numbness gone too? He hadn't even noticed he was shot because of that original numbness. He could use some more of that, he thought.

"And here I thought I'd get at least a week off with credit for this one" Mal admired the man's spunk at a time like this. It was something he would've probably said himself. Wash chuckled, then winced and became quieter as he looked down at Mal's hands pulling up his shirt. Mal had carefully pulled away the blood-soaked material and was gingerly examining the area around the bullet hole with his fingers.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen quite this much blood before. At least not coming from a living body" Wash remarked quietly, looking up at Mal with thoughtful eyes.

"A body bleeding like that is a good thing, it means you ain't dead yet" Mal replied. It was something he had often said to his men on the front lines. He knew that it meant nothing but it gave both them and him a sense of assurance so always said it. Though he really wished he'd never have to say it again. That would be nice. But now he had an injured member of the crew to deal with so he tossed that thought out of his mind and called Jayne over to carry Wash to the Infirmary. Jayne picked the other man up as if he weighed nothing more than a babe and headed down the walkway. Jayne's strength never ceased to amaze Mal. Wash was a good six feet tall himself but yet Jayne walked down the hall as if he carried nothing more than a doll.

Zoe heard Mal yell for Jayne and looked up from where she had been checking the outer door lock and saw him kneeling by their new pilot. Shoot, she thought, now we're gonna have to train a new one and this one was working out so well. Finishing up with the lock and checking one last time on the cargo to make sure it was secure she followed behind Jayne to help.

After ordering Kaylee to take over the ship and get them the hell out of there (for he still hadn't forgotten the original danger of the other ship) Mal ran to the Infirmary behind his other crew members.

By the time he got there Wash was lying on the medical area's main bed and Zoe had started cutting off his shirt. Wash protested briefly (it was one of his favorite shirts) but then he must've realized that it was already ruined and quietly submitted to her ministrations. Mal rolled up his sleeves and quickly washed his hands. He then reached above the sink to get what he knew would be needed right away. I really need to get a medic on this rig, he thought to himself as he headed over to the bed to get to work. Zoe and he weren't docs by any stretch but they knew a lot of basic aid and could even handle slight injuries themselves. He didn't think this one qualified as "slight" but best not to think about that now.

Wash was trying to stay quiet and as still as possible as Mal came over with supplies from the medical cabinet. But it was getting harder and harder as the pain kept getting worse and worse. Despite his best efforts, he found himself shifting his feet around and gripping at the bedside with his hands.

"Captain?" he asked through gritted teeth. "Can't you guys give me anything for the pain?"

"Just hold on a little while longer friend, we've gotta know what we're dealing with here before we numb you up too much to tell us what hurts" Mal replied, never taking his eyes off what he was doing. Personally, Wash thought that they could pretty much tell very easily what was wrong, drugs or no drugs. He thought the hole is his side might be a dead giveaway but maybe he didn't know enough about such things. So he closed his eyes and waited for them to finish.

Gently as he could Mal examined Wash's wound closely under the light and realized very quickly that it was an exit, not an entry wound. That meant it must've entered from the back. This could be either good or bad news. He needed a better look to know which would apply in this case.

"Zoe, help me turn him over" he said and they both gently rolled the pilot to right side. Sure enough they found the entry and using pillows, struggled to keep Wash as comfortable as possible in that position. He was going to have to stay that way for a time while they worked.

Wash bit his lip to keep quiet when they turned him over but when they started examining the hole in his back he couldn't help himself and cried out. He didn't know why but that back one hurt like a mother, somehow more than the front. Upon hearing his cry, Zoe instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand. She hardly realized she had done it until his hand was grasped in both of hers and she found herself looking at him more closely. Wash's eyes were tightly closed with a slight tear or two edging its way out of each eye. Almost as if there were more tears back there but his lids were dutifully holding back the flood. She was touched by this for some reason. Not that she hadn't seen a man cry before. During the war she and the captain both had seen things that had made many a man cry, women too for that matter.

But this was different and she couldn't put her finger on why just yet. She supposed it was what she saw in his face that compelled her to feel this way. Having stood by many a man and woman during battle, all fallen comrades, she was used to the emotions that were usually shown at a time like this. Usually it ran one way or the other. Complete, total, utter, pant-wetting, give me my momma fear or the very popular (more with men than women) "this doesn't hurt, I'm just fine" response. She understood the former though she sometimes pitied it but she hated the latter. Seemed to her that folks should just accept what was going on rather than pretending it wasn't happening. No matter how many times she saw it she always knew one thing about that response. It never worked. When those folks finally did realized what was happening to them they usually panicked so bad that they hindered the very people trying to help them.

But in Wash's face she saw something new, neither the former nor the latter. She saw acceptance. Sure there was pain there too, it would be insanity for there not to be. But she saw his acceptance of his unusual predicament and the ability to just be there, in the moment, despite the horrendous agony that he surely must be feeling. He was allowing them to help and accepting what they were doing to him without too much fuss. This would help them to help him and this intrigued her. Now wanting him to know she was really there with him, she spoke to him.

"Wash" she said quietly and was pleased to see that got his attention. Looking him dead in the eye she squeezed his hand as the captain finished the exam. She didn't say anything else knowing that it was best to keep as quiet as possible. Seemed like talking, noises and the like just freaked people out more so they just didn't do it. The captain and her had figured that out, even when they themselves had gotten wounded. When the hurting was really bad it was best to just keep quiet if you could.

Wash was glad for her silence as she gazed into his eyes because right now it felt like even the slightest noise would somehow hurt him more. How that was possible he didn't know, but it's how he felt. He had felt hands grab hold of his but in his stupor of pain, he hadn't realized who it could be until Zoe had spoken his name. Now she simply looked at him, not saying a word but communicating nonetheless. He saw no fear or pity in her eyes and that made him feel a might bit better, though he couldn't have explained why.

"Okay Wash, I'm gonna give you something to help, just hang on another second there" Mal said, going to the cabinet above the sink again and pulling out a small vial. He attached it to a syringe and began pulling a carefully measured amount of liquid through the needle. He then waited as Zoe quickly cleaned the pilot's arm to prep for the injection. Plunging the needle quickly into Wash's arm, he pushed the plunger and almost immediately saw the other man's body relax.

Wash felt the needle plunge into his skin but hardly cared immediately after it was done. A wave of warmth passed over his body and the cold aching pain in his side backed off a little. He took a long breath and relaxed his head onto the pillow, noticing now that Zoe held his hand again in hers. He looked more closely at her then, while her attention was on Mal and now that his head was a little clearer.

How come he hadn't noticed until now just how beautiful she was?


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello All, _

_Well here's chapter 2. I got a bit distracted with some computer ahem issues but all is better for now so I'm able to post this chapter. More to come so I hope y'all are liking this! _

_-Moki_

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14 Days earlier……..

With his bags over his shoulder, Wash walked between the ships looking for the Serenity. His step was relaxed and he hummed a little tune as he went along. He had already met Captain Mal Reynolds at a nearby space station for his initial interview but today he would be meeting the rest of the crew. He wasn't nervous as he always enjoyed getting to know new people. He knew most people found him easy to get along with and that didn't bother him one bit.

Finally he saw the Firefly up ahead and started walking up the ramp of the ship that would now be his, for all intents and purposes. Wash had a theory that a pilot couldn't be a good pilot unless he loved his (or her) ship and he felt in order to love it he had to feel like he owned it. This big beauty was his now and he was looking forward to getting to know her and to love her. Then she would respond to his hands like a partner in a dance. Well, those were his thoughts on it anyway.

"Howdy" a friendly voice called out and Wash looked up to find a young woman smiling down at him from the top of the ship's ramp. She was happily ensconced in an old lawn chair, wearing a big rimmed hat and holding a glass of something that looked cold and refreshing. _Now this is my kind of ship_, Wash thought to himself. He liked a nice relaxed workplace and this certainly fit that description so far.

"Howdy" Wash replied, returning her grin with one of his own.

"You must be our new pilot. My name's Kaylee and I'm the mechanic, pleased to meet ya" Kaylee got out of her chair and took Wash's hand in a firm handshake. He noticed that she just kept right on smiling, almost like her mouth didn't know how to stop once it started. It was downright fetching.

"I'm Wash" he said, returning her grin.

"The Captain's out rustlin' us up some supplies with the rest of the crew but I can show you around if you want" she said and without waiting for an answer took one of his bags and walked into the ship. Smiling at her guile, Wash followed behind.

Kaylee proceeded to give him a tour of "her" ship, as she called it (apparently mechanics had the same beliefs as pilots about the ships under their care). She kept up a running commentary the whole time and Wash wondered if this was the deluxe tour.

"This here's the galley and we usually eat all our meals together. We ain't got no cook so everyone just pitches in. Can you cook?" But she went on before Wash could even think to open his mouth to reply. "Well it don't matter if you can or you can't, you'll just have to learn is all. Just like the rest of us"

"Actually I can handle myself in a galley, I may not be a gourmet but I can certainly chip in with the cooking" Wash finally got a chance to reply as Kaylee inhaled before getting ready to continue right on talking. She smiled and nodded at him and then continued the tour. She took him through the entire ship, commenting on everything the whole time. He was beginning to lose interest when something she said finally caught his attention.

"This here's the Infirmary. We brought the last pilot here after that last job. Didn't do him no good though since he was already missing some pieces by then. Captain tried to fix him up best he could but there weren't nothin' he could do. One heck of a way to end his first day on the job, that was for sure" If Kaylee noticed Wash turning a particularly sickly shade of green at this point she made no mention of it and continued on her way through the door. Wash following like a zombie behind her. Did she think this was funny or did it never even occur to her that he may not want to hear about how their last pilot ended up (in pieces no less) after his first day on the job?

Strangely enough he wasn't any more comforted when she showed him to his bunk.

"This here was our last pilot's bunk and like I said he didn't make it very long" she was saying cheerfully. "Mal wasn't happy when the idjit got himself blown up and he was right pissed that he had to fly us out of there himself" She stopped and indicated a ladder leading to a bunk below and Wash happily went down. Maybe now he would have a few minutes to ponder over everything she had just said. But the next thing he knew he saw a pair of boots following him down. Even though he was familiar with ships and told her he could figure out where everything was, she insisted on showing him around the small cabin. It was a little annoying but Wash was happy to at least put his bags down, even if he didn't get a moment to himself.

"Well how'bout I take you to where you'll be spending most of your time?" Kaylee asked with another one of her mile-wide grins. Knowing she meant the cockpit, Wash smiled back at her.

"Yeah I'd like that, thanks" He chose not to mention that he could have found his way to the cockpit blindfolded and with his arms and legs tied together. She seemed to be having so much fun that he didn't want to ruin it for her so instead allowed himself to be lead along like a child.

Once in the cockpit, Wash sat down in the pilot's chair to get a feel for it. He ran his fingers lovingly over the controls and smiled to himself, enjoying the way the ship felt to his sensitive hands. Sitting in the pilot's seat of a new ship was always like a first kiss to him and he treasured it. He didn't think he'd ever get tired of flying. Ever since he saw his first shuttle as a little boy it had been love at first sight.

Lost in his own musings, he didn't even notice Kaylee leave or her big grin at seeing his reaction to her ship. She liked it when people bestowed affection on her "girl" and she could tell Wash had fallen head over heels. So she left the two new lovers to get acquainted.

Now alone Wash looked out the cockpit window and sighed in satisfaction, leaning back into his flight chair. Of course right now his view consisted of nothing more than other ships and a docking area but soon enough it would be full of stars. All nervousness after Kaylee's long-winded documentary of their last pilot's misfortunes vanished as he touched the yoke and felt like he was finally home again. It had been a few weeks since his last mission ended and even in that amount of time he'd missed being in the pilot's chair. This was where he belonged and danger be damned. His place was in this cockpit and he felt as long as he was in this chair, he would always be safe. This is where he was in control of his own destiny. What could ever happen to him while sitting in his own chair?

Wash's communion was interrupted by the crackling of the internal 3ntercom. He sat up as he heard his name called.

"Wash. If you're done settling in up there we could use some help here in the cargo bay" Mal's voice informed him.

"Aye Captain, be right down" Wash replied and headed out with one final glance behind him. Yep, he liked his new ship. He liked her just fine.

Wash headed briskly for the cargo hold, his light boots tapping on the grates below him. When he arrived he found the place a flurry of activity and immediately found the captain, who was holding a checklist, to see what he could do to help.

"How can I help, sir?" he asked and Mal pointed towards a tall woman with dark hair and dark skin who was unloading crates from the back of a rover parked in the hull. He tried to remember what her name was but it didn't come to him right away. He knew she was the captain's first mate but that was about it.

"Go help Zoe get those squared away" Mal said and turned away to supervise the rest of the work being done around him. Nodding an affirmative, Wash went where he was told. Some pilots might turn their nose at doing menial labor but not Wash. He liked to pull his weight anyway that he could and on smaller operations like this that often meant that people had to wear many hats.

Wash walked up behind the woman as she was bending over to pick up one of the smaller crates. Now Wash wasn't a sick sort of fellow who went around staring at women's body parts but he couldn't help but to notice that from his current angle she had very nice legs. _Not to mention the tops of those legs too_, he thought.

"Hi" he said "My name's Wash and I'm the new pilot. Mal sent me over here to help so can I help?" he asked and realized that must have sounded rather stupid. _Nice first impression idiot. _Since her back was still turned towards him she didn't see his grimace at his own stupidity. For this small favor Wash was extremely grateful.

The woman turned around after putting down the crate she'd been holding and proceeded to look Wash up and down. That look couldn't have lasted for more than a few seconds but to Wash it felt like forever. It wasn't exactly pleasant and in fact it was more than a little unnerving. But Wash held his ground and simply looked right back at her, keeping all emotion out of his countenance. He had a feeling that he was being tested and he also had a feeling that he sincerely wanted to pass.

Finally deciding that the new recruit was worth a moment of her time (well at least enough to get his help with unloading the rover) she finally replied to his question.

"I'm Zoe. Take these crates and move them over here" she said tersely, pointing to some larger crates and indicating an area of the deck nearby. She then turned back to what she'd been doing and paid the newcomer no more attention than she would have a fly on one of her boots.

"Sure, no problem" Wash replied to her back and got to work. He decided to be polite, even if she wasn't paying attention to him. It was then that he noticed that she had given him the largest of the crates to handle while she took the smaller ones. Not that he blamed her of course. They were very heavy and though he had a feeling she could handle them just fine, he knew she'd rather he did it. She wasn't stupid after all.

As for himself, Wash had no problems with the heavy crates and handled them fairly easily. It was one of the benefits of flying the kinds of ships he did that helped. Many pilots in his field preferred to take on fancy ships. Ones that were piloted with just the mere touch of a few buttons here and there. But Wash liked to really feel his ship and chose to pilot those still using a yoke. He liked to feel every thrust, every shake and shimmy, anything that told him what his ship was doing and even feeling at any given time. Sometimes it meant that he practically had to wrestle them through the air and into rough landings but he liked it just the same.

The upshot of this though was that he had really well developed arm muscles. Those very same muscles that were helping him now, in fact. Many women on many planets had noticed those arms of his even though he wasn't particularly vain about them. They were just a part of him and he accepted them as a by-product of his trade.

Somehow though he didn't think that Zoe had noticed anything about him at all and he certainly didn't think that was why she'd asked him to handle the big crates. _Nope, that didn't seem likely at all_, Wash thought as he set the last one down. In fact he wasn't even sure that she knew he still existed.

Wash was more right then he realized. The moment Zoe had ordered their new pilot to handle the other crates she went right back to what she'd been doing without another thought. In fact if someone had asked her but five minutes later, she probably wouldn't even have remembered even meeting him.

Once finished with the crates, Wash noticed that everyone else had finished up in the cargo bay except for one other person. Stretching his aching back muscles and wiping sweat from his brow Wash looked over at the other man still finishing up his assigned task. _By golly, that man is huge_. Wash wasn't a small fry but this man easily towered over him by another head or so. He seemed to be made of pure muscle and Wash didn't doubt that had the other wanted to he could crush Wash just as soon look at him.

Wash walked over to the other man and decided to introduce himself. Best to get to know everyone right away, he thought.

"Hey how's it going? I'm Wash and I'm the new pilot" he said, extending his hand.

Slowly turning around the bigger man simply looked at him and Wash could have sworn that he snarled. _Okay wait, nobody _snarls_ anymore do they?_ He must have imagined that.

Before Wash could try to speak again the big man put down the crate he'd been holding (a crate that looked large enough to hold a small elephant) and simply walked right past. Well actually didn't just walk right past, the big man made sure to slam Wash in the shoulder as he went by. _Certainly was nice of him. Gee, I'm making friends all over the place._

Thinking that he must have caught his new crewmate at a bad time, Wash shrugged off the gruff first introduction. Next time maybe he'd catch him in a better mood if he waited until dinner. With that thought Wash walked off to his bunk to get more settled and cleaned up a bit.

Over the next twenty-four hours Wash continued to try and make friendly with Jayne but to no avail. In fact the only reason he knew the man's name was that he heard everyone else addressing him as such. The burst of laughter that started in his throat when he'd heard the guy's very feminine name had almost killed him. _Must try to remember not to hold back laughter while eating soup_. But luckily he had managed to hold it back or he was sure that Jayne would have used one of the knives he seemed to carry everywhere to turn Wash into mincemeat.

Not that keeping a straight face upon hearing his name had helped at all though. Every time Jayne entered a room that Wash occupied he made it very clear that he didn't like their new pilot. Wash really couldn't figure out why. As far as he could tell he hadn't said anything to the man to warrant such treatment. _Hell, I've been trying to not even look at the guy cross-eyed_.

However the problem was set aside as Wash got ready to take them off the planet. They were done with their business and it was time to head off to their next destination. It was the first time he'd be piloting Serenity and he wanted to do a great job. He'd flown other boats like her but hadn't actually ever taken up a Firefly before. So he spent a lot of time before they were due to takeoff checking switches and making sure that she was ready and responding to him properly.

He needn't have worried. They took off from their assigned parking spot in the airfield smoothly and a few minutes later came out of atmo with nary a shiver. Mal had sat in the co-pilot's chair the whole time and once they were out, turned with a grin to his new pilot.

"Couldn't have done better myself. Actually I'm sure that's a fact since I ain't no real pilot, not like you. She's all yours, Pilot Washburne" and with that Mal walked out of the cockpit, leaving a grinning Wash in his wake.

Setting a course for their next destination, Wash happily hummed to himself with not a bother in the world. Yet.


	3. Chapter 3

_Hello All, _

_Well here's another chapter up and ready to go. I'm starting to really have fun with this and I hope you all are enjoying it. Please R&R! _

_-Moki_

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Wash was covered in sweat and breathing hard but happier than he'd been in a while. He was glad that he'd decided on this late afternoon run to clear his head. He'd been feeling so tense on the ship that it was nice to just get outside on his own for a little while.

They had landed on a warm and sunny planet near the outskirts of the latest system they were visiting and Wash was taking full advantage of being planet-side. He was using this time to think about what he could do about his situation.

Music played in his ears, especially picked by him for running so that he could keep tempo with it. He did that now and for a minute or two tried not to think about anything but the rhythm.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

His feet were light below him and he kept his pace easily. Though running was certainly easier planet-side (_well actually that depended on the planet_) he could do it on the ship as well. He had already found the weight-room and the treadmills there so it was easy to keep up his routine. Though he could have made do even without such a set-up. The crew on his last job had gotten quite used to seeing him run through their ship. The cargo bay and even the hallways became his track and he had used it whenever he could.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

Wash's mind quickly went back to the problem at hand as he tried to figure out what to do. He never had trouble getting along with a new crew so this was definitely something unusual to him. The captain and he got along well and each got what they wanted from the other. Wash already respected the captain and felt quite loyal to him. He also trusted Mal and that was no small thing. Not that Wash usually distrusted people but sometimes in his line of work he didn't feel that way about someone for a while. He accepted the fact that as an independent pilot he might work with less than savory characters from time to time. But he knew immediately that Mal was different. He could tell that Mal liked him just fine as well.

_Nope, the problem isn't with Mal_. Wash thought.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

Wash turned up his headphones a bit and they crackled with a little interference. He had set them up so that they could receive 'com. from the ship in case anything happened while he was out. It meant that as his music played it was periodically interrupted with internal communication from the ship. But he quickly tuned it out as it was just routine business (Mal ordering Kaylee to fix some danged broken ship part and the like). He was passing the small town where they'd already done some trading and received waves from those still outside of their homes in the late day sun.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

Kaylee and he got along just fine too. She was as sweet as she could be and he was enjoying working with a great mechanic who wasn't a know-it-all jerk. He'd worked with too many of those types so she was certainly a breath of fresh air. He even found himself feeling very older-brother like towards her. Already he felt that if anyone tried to hurt her, they'd have him to deal with whether they liked it or not. She liked him just fine too.

_Nope the problem isn't with Kaylee_, Wash thought.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

Wash had passed the town now and headed towards the foothills behind it. He found a trail leading upwards and took it, wanting to push himself a little more. The music continued playing in his ears and he hummed along for a few moments. As he headed up the trail he rounded a corner and was able to get a birds-eye view of the small valley below. He was above the treetops and he watched as the wind gently blew through the branches. He looked up above him and saw the reddish sky of sunset through the trees on the trail with him. It was beautiful.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

_Now as for Zoe._ _Well that was something else entirely_, Wash thought. True she was a bit cold but he didn't reckon that she particularly disliked him in any way. Zoe just sort of let him be and he let her be. She was definitely a striking woman but Wash didn't have to be hit over the head to know when a woman had no interest in him whatsoever. At first he thought that maybe Zoe and the captain were together but quickly dismissed it after observing them awhile. No doubt theirs was a unique relationship but it wasn't a dating one. From what he'd gathered within the first few days he'd been on board he knew that they'd been in the war together and Mal had been Zoe's sergeant. He knew they'd been through a lot together and their bond was strong. Actually it made him feel sorry for any man to which Zoe did decide to give her heart. Those two were so close, how would any other man be able to compete? _Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about that_. Zoe and he got along just fine.

_Nope the problem isn't with Zoe_, Wash thought.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

_Jayne_. Therein lied the problem. No matter how hard Wash tried the big brute acted like either Wash didn't exist or that he was an enemy specifically put on board to ruin Jayne's day. Wash didn't mind as much when the man ignored him but the constant picking was grating at his nerves. Wash had tried to be nothing but nice but somehow it just didn't work. He had been on board Serenity for a week already and nothing had changed. Wash had rather hoped that Jayne would either get used to him or get bored with berating him but neither seemed to be happening anytime soon.

Wash wasn't about to do anything stupid like go to the captain or anyone else though. He prided himself on being able to handle his own problems and this one was no different. He was just going to have to figure it out on his own and that was that.

One, Two. One, Two. One, Two.

Noticing that it was growing increasingly darker now Wash turned on the trail and headed back down. Just as he did he heard static in his ears through the music and Mal's voice came on the 'com.

"Wash we need you back in here now. It's gettin' a mite late and I want to close Serenity and lock her up for the night. What's your ETA?"

"No problem Captain I'll be back right away. I'm about 2 kilometers out right now" Wash replied without slowing down.

"Fine, see you back here in 10 minutes" Mal replied matter of fact and the line was cut.

_Ten minutes?_ Wash was incredulous. _Well best not to be arguing over the impossibility of that right now. _He decided and took off with a faster pace. If he hadn't already been running for an hour he probably could easily have made that time. But right now it was going to be tough.

Taking a deep breath, Wash took off and started running for his life. While he knew that Mal probably wouldn't be all that upset if he was a bit late he still wanted to prove that he could do it. He had distinctly felt Mal's smirk over the 'com and was sure the captain didn't think he could make it back that fast. _Well I'll show him._

Wash ran like he'd never run before. He ran back down the hill he'd just come, back past the town and out into the open valley. He ran harder and harder and just when he thought his legs or his lungs were going to give out he saw Serenity looming ahead over the treetops. He rounded a bend in the canyon where he'd set her down. Right then and there he decided that there never was anything more beautiful than that ship. Knowing that he was going to make it he slowed just a tad and immediately felt his body want to stop completely. _No_, he told his tired limbs, _this is just a rest and you have to keep going._

Smiling to himself in satisfaction he finally reached his goal and ran onto the cargo ramp like a competitor passing the finish line. Arms up in the air to a non-existent crowd he whooped in glee. Behind him Serenity's cargo hold door began to close and Wash knew that Mal must have seen him arrive. Wash grinned knowing that he'd probably surprised captain.

Completely spent now, he stopped and leaned over to allow his gasping lungs to take in some much-needed oxygen. After a few seconds he straightened up and with hands on hips walked into the cargo bay. He headed straight for the weight-room and proceeded to cool off and stretch his aching limbs. _All in all a good run_, he thought to himself.

Wash never noticed a dark set of eyes on him. They watched his every move now that he was on board and in fact had been watching him since he'd become visible on his way back to the ship. They were thoughtful eyes and their owner hardly knew why they were watching. They had started watching simply because they'd been looking out at the sunset and spotted a speck on the horizon. The ears that belonged to the eyes had heard the captain's challenge and out of curiosity had come to see if it would be met. They would never admit it but the eyes were impressed. After a while they stopped watching and headed off on their way, taking the body with them.

Zoe smiled to herself. _Well, well, well…. looks like we got ourselves a spry little pilot. _

------------

Jayne spotted Wash heading towards the weight room and grinned snidely. _Time to have a little fun with the new recruit. _

Wash was just finishing up with some final stretches and about ready to try some weights when he heard footsteps behind him. The feet making those steps were much too large to be anyone else and Wash sighed. _Here he comes._

"Hey Wash, you want I should spot ya?" Jayne asked as he walked in and found Wash fussing with the weights.

"Uh, yeah sure" Wash replied. He looked at the other man to see what he was up to but Jayne had his best poker-face on and Wash couldn't tell what he was thinking. _Not that there was much going on up there anyway,_ Wash thought.

Hoping that this was some kind of a peace offering but also knowing that the chances of that were about as good as him sitting down to a nice romantic dinner with a Reaver, Wash laid down and let Jayne put the dumbbell into his hands. Wash had purposely not set the weight too high so as not to give the other man an easy target. But it wasn't light either and within a minute he was ready to set the weight back. Wash was surprised when Jayne helped him do it without a word and without being asked.

Then it was Jayne's turn and silently Wash watched as the bigger man set the weights heavier. Much heavier. Wash expected some smart-ass comment about his feeble attempts now that Jayne was lifting about the same amount of weight as Wash himself. But it didn't happen. After a minute or two Jayne simply nodded that he was done and Wash helped _(okay, struggled)_ to get the dumbbell back on the bar and they switched again.

They continued like this for a little while in complete silence. Wash kept expecting Jayne to do or say something, anything, to upset him but it never happened. Wash was beginning to think that maybe this was Jayne's idea of a peace offering and suddenly that didn't seem like such an odd idea. _After all_, Wash thought, _the guy's not very big on words so maybe this is the best he could do. _

Finally comfortable Wash lay down for his last rep and put his hands out for Jayne to hand him the dumbbell. As he reached out he noticed that it looked different but his mind was so happily distracted with the idea that he and Jayne were finally getting along that he didn't pay it any mind.

So it was with great shock that he felt the weight hit his hands and practically slam into his chest. How he managed to keep enough control over the gorram thing to not break any ribs was beyond him. Both hands pinned, Wash looked up to see Jayne laughing fit to be tied. It was obvious now to Wash that Jayne had purposely lulled him into a false sense of security so that he could pull this trick. It hadn't actually taken much effort as all Jayne had done was simply left his own weights on the bar, without changing it back for Wash.

Mortified and angry as a cornered rattlesnake Wash struggled to free himself.

"Gorramit Jayne" he growled. "Get this ruttin' thing off of me!"

Jayne paid absolutely no mind and continued to guffaw heartily. He was really enjoying his little joke and seemed to have no intention of ending it anytime soon.

Wash's arms were burning and he was having a hard time keeping the thing off his chest. The more he struggled the harder it became and soon the weight was bearing down on his ribcage. Despite Wash's pleas Jayne made no move to help and Wash was beginning to feel dizzy as the weight bore down on him. Wondering just how long he would last Wash was feeling about ready to pass out when he heard another voice holler Jayne's name.

"Jayne! What in the sweet depths of hell do you think you're doing!" Mal screamed, shoving Jayne aside and grabbing the weight off of Wash's chest. Mal struggled for a moment with it but was finally able to get it back on its rack.

Wash immediately felt the relief as the weight was lifted from him and took a nice deep breath. Sitting up and trying not to look too bedraggled, Wash did his best to smile reassuringly at Mal.

"Nothing to worry about Captain" he said. As he spoke he felt Jayne's eyes on him but chose to ignore him for the moment. _Don't want to make this any worse than it is_. Wash knew from dealing with schoolyard bullies that if they got in trouble then _you'd _be in trouble. Damage control was the name of the game now.

"We were just having a little fun is all. Really, I'm fine" Wash said. He could tell that Mal didn't believe him one tiny bit. Wash thought that Mal was going to make a fuss and silently waited to see what would happen next. Looking at Wash carefully Mal shrugged. While it was obvious he didn't believe Wash, he was going to allow the fable to stand for the real story.

"Fine. Maybe you too should finish up here and go get some grub. We got us a big job tomorrow and I need you both ready to rise and shine mighty early in the morning" Mal said as he looked Jayne in the eyes. Knowing that he'd gotten his message across, Mal walked out.

If Jayne was happy that Wash hadn't turned him in to the Captain, he sure didn't show it. Barely glancing at Wash (though still managing to convey hatred in that small glance) he followed after the captain.

Left to himself, Wash rubbed his aching chest and sighed.

_Well, that could have gone better. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello All, _

_Here's the next chapter up. Hope you like it and please R&R!_

_-Moki_

_---------_

Jayne walked behind the captain and smiled to himself. _Little idjit has gotta learn his place 'round these parts. _

Mal headed to the galley and Jayne turned towards his bunk without following. He knew that even though Wash had said nothing had happened there was a good chance that the captain would have something to say about what he'd just seen in the workout room.

Jayne knew that if Mal asked him then he'd just end up mouthing off and then gettin' yelled at. Now Jayne didn't particularly mind if Mal yelled at him but it was a mite annoyin' at times and right now he just wasn't in the mood. Besides it's not like Jayne had anything new to say to the captain on this subject.

Weeks before Mal had started interviewing new potential pilots after their last one went and got hisself blown to bits (Jayne smiled a bit at that – it had been quite a sight). Jayne had met a few of these fellows and not one had interested him one bit. Then a man named Clancy had inquired and when he'd come aboard for an interview, Jayne know that he was different.

Clancy had been hard as nails and carried not one, but no less than three guns on him when he'd come aboard Serenity. _Hell, that alone made him the obvious choice_, Jayne had thought. He'd been on another ship that had been doing some real work, not just petty thievin' but even some slavery and other fine jobs. Jayne thought that this was just the kind of influence this raggedy-ass crew needed. He was gettin' a mite tired of all these little piddly jobs that didn't pay much more'n a few bucks here and there. Though he did have to admit that he was starting to make better money, Jayne was inherently greedy and always wanted more.

Seemed to Jayne that if a man like Clancy would come aboard then maybe he and Jayne could change things around for the better. The captain and Zoe were alright at fightin' and all but they were a mite picky at what jobs they took (_gorram bleedin' hearts_) and it frustrated Jayne to no end.

Jayne had been around when Mal was interviewing Clancy and he thought everything had gone really well. Clancy had pointed out some flaws in their security (_nice catch_), called Serenity a big flying hunk of junk (_well, she was_) and managed to hit on both Zoe and Kaylee before he'd been aboard more'n 15 minutes. _Yep, definitely my kind of guy_.

So after Clancy had left Jayne walked up to Mal to find out what happened.

"Well?" Jayne had asked.

"Well, what?" Mal replied

"So is he our new pilot? Cuz I think that might be just what we need around here"

"Jayne I ain't lettin' that _hoon dan_ back onto my ship again even if he was the last pilot in the'verse" Mal said and headed towards the cockpit. Not taking no for an answer (something Jayne was really quite good at) he continued.

"Listen here Captain. I think we need some new blood around here and I think that folk like that Clancy fellow could be something we need. We ain't been doin' nothin' but crap jobs these past couple months and seems to me like Clancy there knows were the goodun's are" Jayne had followed behind Mal as he'd walked and the two of them had ended up alone in the cockpit.

"Jayne, much as I appreciate your opinion let me make one thing straight. I'm the captain on this boat and what I say goes. Right now I'm sayin' that I ain't hirin' that man and that's that. We ain't talkin' about this anymore. I don't like him and he ain't what I'm looking for in a pilot" Mal said and then sat down in the pilot's chair. Then without another word to Jayne he had started the take-off sequence.

Jayne had walked away knowing that the argument was over but determined to make his preference known.

Now if the captain had gone ahead and hired someone half-decent, Jayne would have been happy. So it was with great disgust that he'd found out the captain had hired Wash. The new pilot's reputation had apparently been really good and before he'd met the gorram man, it had been all Mal could talk about. From what he'd heard, there'd been no doubt in Jayne's mind that Wash was gonna be young, stupid and not at all the kind of person they needed on this crew. Meeting him had confirmed it. Jayne was unimpressed by the fact that Wash was supposed to be the best pilot around and wanted by many captains all over. Jayne could tell that Wash would be no good in a fight and he wasn't even sure the guy knew how to use a gun.

_What kind of a guy is that to hire to fly this boat? What we need around here is another gun hand that can help out when things get rough. _

Also Jayne would be the first to admit that he liked having fun with people. So even if the whole Clancy situation hadn't occurred, there's a good chance Jayne would still be giving Wash hell. He rather liked it.

Jayne liked people with a bit'o fight in'em and Wash just didn't seem to be the type. So right off the bat Jayne decided to push the pilot and see how much he would take. It didn't surprise Jayne none when Wash didn't put up no fuss. _Just as I thought_. _Sure'n hell gonna be interesting having a pilot on this crew who can't even stand up for hisself on board the ship. _

As the days wore on and Wash still didn't fight back Jayne really started to enjoy himself and began thinking that there was a good chance now that he could actually get Wash to quit the job. _Maybe then Mal'll think of hiring someone with a little more gumption._

With this thought in mind Jayne decided to pick up the pace a bit and when he'd seen Wash walking into the weight-room it had just been too good a chance to pass up. He hadn't planned on the captain walking in and catching him though. He'd thought for sure that the little piglet was gonna start squealin' right then and there but had been truly surprised when Wash had kept his mouth shut.

Not that it meant Jayne was gonna lay off him, not by any means. He was just happy that he didn't have to deal with the captain and could continue with his little plan to get rid of the new pilot. _Yep, I think it's gonna work out just fine._

------

The next morning Wash walked into the galley and started making himself a cup of coffee. He wanted to just sit and relax awhile before the rest of the crew (namely Jayne) got up and disturbed him so had intentionally gotten up really early. He poured the water and had just started heating it though when he heard Jayne's unmistakable hulking footsteps coming from the bunk area. _Gorramit_, Wash thought.

Trying his best to look nonchalant, Wash finished putting the water on and sat down at the table to wait for it to heat up. Seconds later Jayne walked in and without a word to Wash began rummaging in the cupboards, apparently looking for something to eat. Happy to be ignored, Wash sat at the table and idly spun his cup in his hands, lost in thought.

"Gorramit!" Wash's reverie was interrupted by Jayne's bellow.

"Where the hell is it?" Jayne's back was still to Wash and he hadn't stopped his frantic rummaging so Wash assumed that this wasn't really aimed at him. Hoping desperately that Jayne found whatever it was he was looking for soon, Wash did his best to ignore him. He just wanted to get his coffee and head up to the cockpit. For some reason was the one place that Jayne would leave him alone. _Maybe he knows that if he bothers me there I'm like to crash and kill us all. _

Being ignored ended abruptly as Jayne turned from the cupboard and stared straight at Wash.

"What did you do with it?" Jayne asked furiously.

"What?" Wash asked back.

"My ration packs. I bought five of them on our last run and I had two left yesterday. I put them right in here (he indicated the cupboard behind him) and now they're gone"

"Sorry Jayne but I haven't seen them" Wash replied and hoped Jayne would leave it at that.

Shocked that a man that big could move that fast Wash suddenly found himself shoved up against the wall of the galley in about half a second. Jayne had him by the collar and was actually holding him almost off of his feet so that he could stare him down, face to face. Before Wash could say or do anything, Jayne spoke.

"I know you took'em little man. You're just all bent outta shape because I played a little joke on ya last night. Can' t even take a little joke, huh?" Jayne growled right in Wash's face. Making Wash wish that Jayne had thought to brush his teeth before coming out of his bunk.

"Look Jayne, listen to me" Wash said calmly. "I didn't take anything of yours and certainly not as repayment for your little joke yesterday. I don't even like those stupid ration packs, I think they taste like dirt" Wash did his best to sound calm as he figured trying to get angry and fight would be a bad idea at the moment.

Jayne held Wash for a few more seconds and finally let go. Wash staggered as he was suddenly thrust back onto his own two feet and Jayne laughed.

"You better be right, little man. Cuz if'n I find you took what's mine ain't gonna be no one to stop me from doin' what I see is right" With that, Jayne walked out.

For the second time in as many days Wash was left catching his breath after being somewhat assaulted and it left him unnerved. He really liked this job but he wasn't sure if he could stay on if Jayne didn't let up soon.

Suddenly Wash heard footsteps and nearly jumped out of his skin and Mal came striding quickly into the room.

"Hey, watch it there pilot. I ain't gonna bite ya none" Mal said with an easy smile. He went straight to the coffee and finding the water now hot, started to poor himself a cup.

Wash battled with himself over whether or not to talk to Mal about what had just occurred but quickly decided against it. He knew that telling Mal would only make things worse so again kept his mouth shut. He was extremely grateful that Mal hadn't seen Jayne's latest display as he was sure the captain would be none to pleased about it.

Smiling a greeting at Mal, Wash got himself a much needed cup of coffee and sat across from the captain.

"So what time do you think we can make the rendezvous tomorrow?" Mal asked. They were going to be making a trade of their current cargo and the buyer had insisted on meeting off planet. It was a bit more tricky of course but Mal had a good recommendation on the buyer so was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"I set up the trajectory last night and right now we're on target to meet up with them tomorrow at around 3:00" Wash replied, sipping his coffee and happy to have something else to think about.

"Good. That will give us time to get the goods back out into the open" Mal nodded happily. The goods were currently being stowed under the cargo deck just in case they ran into any Alliance cruisers.

"Once we make dock with them I want you to stay near the cockpit but also keep an eye on what's happening down below, got it?"

Wash nodded.

"Good. Can't be too careful with these new folks and I want to make sure that my pilot is safe enough to not get hisself shot up but also close enough for me to yell at him to get us the hell outta there if needed" With that Mal stood up and taking his coffee with him, headed out the door.

Wash sat in silence for a while after Mal left. He was grateful that no one else came in for the moment as he wanted a few more minutes to himself. He could have gone to the cockpit but for some reason his feet wouldn't let him. He was feeling very strange all of a sudden and couldn't put a finger on why.

_Must just be jitters,_ Wash thought. But he couldn't shake the sudden feeling of dread that washed over him. Suddenly Wash had a very bad feeling about the deal tomorrow, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out why. Mal, Zoe and (he had to admit) Jayne were very good at their jobs and they weren't going to let anything go wrong, Wash was sure of that. He and Kaylee were going to be in very good hands. All they had to do was do their jobs and stay out of the way and everything would be fine. Kaylee had told him she'd been through many of these types of jobs before and it would be fine. Even if something came up, Kaylee had assured him, the captain and Zoe would always handle it before it got outta hand.

_So why do I feel this way? _

Deciding that there was no need to dwell and doing his best to shake it off, Wash headed to the cockpit to check on their course.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sorry for the delay folks! Bought myself a new computer but it's been heck getting it set up and transferring all my info (including my precious stories!). In fact it still hasn't worked and I'm back on my old dinosaur right now but at least he's reliable. Enjoy!**_

**_-Moki_**

**_------_**

****

Wash sat in the cockpit, the ship quiet as a mouse in these early morning hours. He always liked this time of day, even without a sun to watch rise over a horizon. He enjoyed the feeling of absolute peace and knowing that he was the only one awake. It was especially that much sweeter knowing that Jayne wouldn't be in to bother him. Jayne's apparent reluctance to terrorize Wash while he was at the controls of Serenity had turned into the strawberry blonde's godsend.

He had even set out his dinosaurs and the palm trees where they liked to play. His little friends looked at him with blank eyes and he smiled at the sight of them. He didn't bring them out right away on a new ship but he'd been feeling so confident at Serenity's controls that he'd decided today was the day to introduce them to her.

These thoughts however were jostled rudely when he heard the door open behind him. Thinking that maybe Jayne had overcome his reluctance and was now here for more of his version of "fun", Wash winced to himself. It was with great relief then that he looked up to find that it was in fact Zoe who had entered.

"'Morning" she said and without another word headed for the co-pilot's seat and sat down. She didn't seem to want to talk so Wash just let her be and for a while they both sat in silence, each in their own thoughts. Usually Wash would have found a situation like this uncomfortable but for some reason he felt completely at ease with her sitting there not saying a word. He began to feel calmer than he had in days. Though he couldn't have said why.

"Trouble sleeping?" he asked after a while. He had just finished an instrument check and leaned back into his seat. He didn't look at her but continued to study the stars outside.

"Never can before a job, just the way I am" she replied without looking at him either. "Ever since the war I ain't been able to sleep right before something really important. Captain's the same way and I bet any second now he'll probably..."

She was cut off as Mal walked in and took his customary place behind both the pilot and co-pilot's chairs. Wash figured out immediately that she'd been about to warn him of the captain's imminent arrival. _That man has amazing timing_, Wash thought.

" 'Morning" Mal said to them both as he studied the stars outside the cockpit window. After a few seconds, the encompassing silence took over them all.

At first Wash was disappointed to learn that his early mornings would often be interrupted but after awhile he found that he was perfectly fine with all three of them together in the cockpit. It was actually kind of nice to feel like a part of the crew like this. Also it was a unique experience to feel alone but not actually be alone. Different, but nice. There was no doubt it was also nice to be in the same room with some people that weren't trying to insult or injure him. _Gotta stop thinking about that right now_, Wash reprimanded himself. _We got a job to do and that sure isn't going to help. _

After a while Wash's console started beeping and he reached forward to flip a few switches.

"Captain, we're coming up on the rendezvous coordinates" Wash reported as Mal looked at him expectantly upon hearing the noise.

"Alright well let's get this show on the road then. Zoe, go check on Jayne and make sure he's already down with the cargo" Zoe nodded and headed out of the cockpit. As she got up to leave Wash noticed for the first time that she was already armed. It made sense of course but it struck him as odd that he hadn't noticed that before. Glancing behind him he noticed that Mal had his gun as well. _Well, looks like everyone is ready_, Wash thought.

"Wash once you get us docked I want you to head down to the cargo bay but stay by the ladder. Like I said before we may need to skidaddle outta here nice and quick-like so I need you ready if I give the order, got it?" Mal asked as he took one final look out the window at the oncoming ship.

"Yes sir. I'll see you down there in a few minutes" Wash replied.

"Good. Now I've already told Kaylee to stay in the engine room in case we need a full engine burn or you need her to do anything to get Serenity moving the way you want. If I give the order then it's up to the two of you two get us all outta here, whatever it takes" He turned and started heading towards the exit.

Just then he stopped and Wash realized that Mal had just noticed the dinosaurs for the first time. He had stopped in his tracks at the site of them and Wash waited for the inevitable ribbing. But to his surprise the captain instead just walked over and silently picked each up in turn.

"Nice dinos" was all he said and continued off the bridge leaving a somewhat surprised Wash in his path.

After Mal left Wash continued to monitor the visiting ship and once it was in range he hailed her. He and the other pilot worked out the docking sequence easily. Wash was relieved that the other pilot was apparently very experienced. He would have hated the need to talk a newbie through something like what they were doing. Docking two ships out in the depths of space was pretty routine but it also took a little bit of experience to get it right. Luckily there were no problems and they got the two ships together within a few minutes.

Calling over the 'com, Wash let the captain know that they were docked and he could open the outer airlock at any time. Once this last bit of pilot-y duty was completed Wash headed out of the door to wait by the ladder as he'd been instructed.

That's when he heard the first gunshot.

After that things moved so fast that Wash was hardly aware of what was happening. Before he knew it he was down in the hold getting orders from Mal to take off and then suddenly he was shot. Then he was in the Infirmary being tended to by Mal and Zoe and noticing for the first time just how beautiful she was. Funny how Wash had never applied that word to her before. It wasn't that he thought she wasn't pretty (quite the contrary) it's just that she'd seemed so tough that other adjectives fit her better. _Stunning, Striking, _those had been some of the words he had thought of before.

All these thoughts flew through his mind as quickly as Serenity through space until finally they settled and he was just holding Zoe's hand. He didn't even notice when Mal finished looking him over and walked towards the door, wiping his hands on a towel as he went.

Now that his patient was more comfortable, Mal was better able to take a moment and think on what needed to be done next.

"Zoe" he called quietly, motioning for her to follow him out the door. He noticed that she was a little hesitant to let go of Wash's hand and even at a time like this, that caught his attention. He and Zoe had known each other longer than either cared to admit to anyone else (if only because the admission of the amount of years would testify to just how old they might be). They had been through a lot together and though he never thought as a younger man that he'd say it about a woman, she had become his best friend. And he was hers.

So he knew immediately that something was different about her, something that apparently revolved around their new pilot. It sure as hell didn't take a genius to figure it out but now he was even more worried. It didn't look good right now for poor Walsh and if Zoe's heart was starting to feel something for him, this could be worse than originally thought. Dealing with an injured crew member was one thing, comforting his best friend through the loss of a loved one (no matter how new that love and no matter that neither of them would even call it love yet - Mal wasn't fooled) would be something else entirely.

So it was with a heavy heart that he told her what he'd been thinking as he'd examined the pilot.

"Okay, here's the deal. As you saw it looks like the bullet went straight through him and luckily I don't THINK it hit anything in his belly. But I think it may have broken a rib and nicked his lung. In which case it could be just a matter of time before that lung collapses" he frowned at her look of worry but plowed on, _best to just get it over with, _he thought.

"I'm going to the cockpit and figure out where the hell Kaylee has taken us since I set her loose at the controls. Then I'm gonna see how fast we can get to the nearest station or somewhere else we can get him seen to. Can you clean him up and wrap that wound? You'll need to do it real tight to hold that rib in place. Last thing we need is for a bone chip to get loose in there. If you need to, have Jayne help you hold him down" Mal knew he sounded cruel but it was for the man's own good and he hoped that Zoe knew that.

"Yes sir, of course. Just get up front, I'll take over from here" Zoe replied and with relief Mal noticed that though she wasn't happy about it, she'd do whatever it took to take care of Wash. Unfortunately even if that meant hurting him a little to help him. Good, Mal thought, that's exactly the kind of attitude he needed from her to handle this. And knowing his pilot was in good hands, he gave Zoe a nod and then strode quickly off to the bridge. There was no need to say anything more and he didn't even look back. His mind now on the next bit of business at hand. Getting them to the nearest doctor.

Zoe turned back to the Infirmary and walked up to Wash's side again. He had his eyes closed tightly and his breathing was a little shallow but it wasn't serious. She knew that every breath was like breathing fire for him with that bullet and a nicked rib. But she could also tell that it was just pain and not a ruined lung causing his difficultly. Gently she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Wash I need you to listen to me" Zoe said Wash looked up at her with glazed eyes, a deep frown of pain still across his face despite the shot Mal had already given him.

"I need to wrap your ribs so that we can make sure that bullet and your ribs don't move around and cause any more damage" Wash didn't think he was going to like this procedure but didn't really have the energy to say anything in reply.

"Now I ain't gonna lie to ya Wash, it's gonna hurt and it's gonna hurt like hell_" Yep, definitely not gonna like this,_ Wash thought

"But the most important thing is that no matter how much it hurts I need you stay still. Now if you can't do that then I'll have to get Jayne down here to help hold you down" Seeing Wash's frown deepen even more Zoe quickly continued before he could interrupt. "But I know you don't want that and neither do I. So how about we work together?"

Wash would have preferred to forego the entire procedure altogether but if he had to do it then he sure as spit didn't want Jayne involved. Wash figured that Jayne might even enjoy the process and he just wouldn't be able to stand that. He knew that it would be really hard but he was willing to give it a try if Zoe had confidence in him. Something about her confidence made him feel better so he decided to let her do what was needed. He did have one question for her before they started.

"Painkiller?" Wash's voice was a squawk even though he had tried to steady it before speaking.

Zoe frowned. She had known he probably would ask about that and she was real sorry she didn't have a better answer for him.

"I can't give you anymore right now but I also can't wait to do this. The longer you sit like this the more likely a chance that bullet is gonna start moving around and causing a ruckus inside you. We already gave you a bunch so you're about as numbed-up as we can make ya without putting you in danger" Zoe replied.

Somehow Wash knew she was going to say something like that so it was with quiet resignation that he sighed and nodded.

"Okay, lets do it"

Zoe quickly got out the bandages she would need. She knew that Wash was watching her nervously so she went as quickly as possible. Once she had everything together she turned back to the bed and tried to smile reassuringly.

"Okay here we go. First I need you to sit up" Zoe said and reached out to help Wash get up from his prone position.

Wash hissed when he first tried to use the muscles in his stomach to move his body. Quickly he figured out that wasn't going to work and gratefully accepted Zoe's help. She seemed to know how hard it was for him to move and actually did most of the work herself. Wash found himself thinking that she was deceptively, and incredibly, strong.

Once he was up it was a little easier to breathe and Wash was able to relax a bit as Zoe cleaned his wound. She then covered it in gauze and tape and Wash was beginning to think this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Easy part's over now lets get the hard part over with" Zoe said as she cut the last piece of tape and gently pressed it into Wash's side.

_I knew it was too good to be true_, Wash thought as Zoe walked away. She went to the counter and picked up a long roll of bandages and returned to Wash, unwinding it as she went.

"Put both hands on my shoulders" Zoe said and Wash gingerly lifted both hands and placed them where he was told. Finding himself face to face with her he was glad that she was occupied so that he could study her more closely. His earlier opinion of her beauty was only strengthened by this close inspection. She was even more perfect up close than she was afar.

His pleasant inner monologue ended abruptly as Zoe began wrapping the bandages around him and pulling tightly to ensure his ribs wouldn't move. Determined not to be a weakling Wash closed his eyes and gritted his teeth to keep from moving an inch or making any noise whatsoever. He had no idea if it impressed her or not but it made him feel more manly and that was something.

For her part Zoe was actually impressed at Wash's stoic demeanor as she finished the job. Inspecting her work and deciding that it would do the job she stood up straight and suddenly the two of them found each other looking directly into each other's eyes once again.

Wash found himself flushing slightly and looked away after a few seconds. He didn't want to seem like he was ogling so turned away rather than stare.

Zoe smiled at the sight of Wash's discomfort. She hadn't seen a man blush often and it amused her a little.

"Okay lets get you back down so you can rest. The captain's set a course for the nearest med facilities but ain't no tellin' when we'll get there so we best get you settled for a while" Zoe said and took Wash's hands from her shoulders where they had remained during the entire procedure. Again she did most of the work of laying Wash back down and kept his pain down to a minimum.

It still hurt like hell but once he was down, Wash felt better. Zoe went to the sink and washed her hands then proceeded to put away the supplies she had used.

The strains of the day and his injuries finally took over Wash and he felt his eyes grow heavy. Now that he was (somewhat) comfortable he was immensely tired. He fought sleep for a few moments but quickly decided that it was probably exactly what his beaten body needed and finally gave in and let his eyes close.


	6. Chapter 6

_Hello all, _

_Well here's the last chapter and I hope everyone enjoys it. It's a little long which is why it took so long. Don't worry though I've got other Firefly/Wash stories coming and will have a first chapter on a new one up real soon. So be on the lookout for them!_

_Hope you guys like how this ending and as always, please read and review :o)_

_-Moki_

_-------------------_

About ten minutes after Zoe finished dressing Wash's wounds the captain returned from the cockpit for an update on his pilot. He had left Kaylee at the controls again but this time with a definite destination. He walked into the infirmary to find her putting away the last of the supplies she had used to treat Wash.

"How is he?" Mal asked. Not replying, Zoe took his arm and led him silently from the room not wanting to wake the still sleeping pilot. Once outside she closed the door carefully and silently and Mal noticed that she still spoke quietly as if afraid any little sound would disturb the invalid.

"Fine for now, Captain. Though I ain't gonna guarantee he'll be that way for long. That bullet is still like to cause some problems" Zoe replied, looking back into the room briefly.

"Well we're going at full burn to a friendly place with a med unit right now as we speak. So hopefully he can hang on for another 12 hours or so because even at full burn that's the closest option we got right now" Mal said and noted how Zoe immediately looked upset. It was hard to tell with her sometimes but Mal knew her "upset" face very well and spotted it without a problem.

"Don't fret now Zo" Mal said softly, putting a hand on her arm. "He's as tough a pilot as we ain't had around here in a while. He can hold on, don't you worry none" Giving her arm a final squeeze and receiving a brief nod in return, the Captain left her there.

He didn't see Zoe turn and look back into the room to watch the other man sleep for a while. A new look. A look like none Mal would have ever seen before on her face. Though if Mal had seen it, it wouldn't have surprised him the least bit. Maybe a day before it would have, but somehow not now. Finally she went back into the room to sit and wait.

-----------

Zoe had been sitting silently on watch with Wash for a few hours when a voice pulled her out of her thoughts suddenly.

"Captain says I should come here and relieve ya. He wants you to get to your bunk" Zoe looked up to find Jayne standing in the Infirmary doorway but eyed him suspiciously.

Zoe knew that Jayne's idea of "watching" Wash would be to sit by the invalid and probably pick his teeth with one of his favorite knives. _That is if he stayed awake at all_. Zoe had an inkling that the Captain had probably roused Jayne from his bunk to get him down here in the first place. If that were true then it wouldn't surprise her a mite bit if Jayne was to set himself down on the extra cot in the Infirmary and be snoring his ownself pretty much the moment she walked out the door.

Also the fact that Jayne had not particularly taken a liking to their new pilot didn't leave her with much confidence that Jayne would give one whit if Wash lived or died. She decided it best not to give Jayne any time alone with him and to stay herself.

"Not necessary. I got it" She said coldly.

"Fine. Suit yourself" Without a glance back or another word he was gone. And with that, Zoe knew she'd made the right choice. Settling back in her chair she pulled up the blanket she had wrapped around her to guard from the cold.

Suddenly Wash shivered on the table but didn't awake. Zoe reached forward and felt his head and was not surprised to find him hotter than an oven. She had been expecting it for a while and was actually surprised he hadn't started a fever earlier. Going to the shelves on the other side of the room she found another blanket and put it over him. _Not much good it will do, though._ Wash was obviously suffering from shock may even have started an infection. What he really needed was to be in a med center getting proper treatment. But they were still hours away so keeping him comfortable was about the best she could do.

Once he was quiet again Zoe went back to the chair she'd brought in and set herself down for a long vigil. Rubbing her eyes she tried to force herself to stay awake. She'd had to stay up many nights during the war and though she was somewhat used to it, it wasn't exactly easy. She circled her head around and rubbed behind her neck and shoulders to ease the strain of having already sat for so long. This seemed to help a little and she was able to concentrate again.

Some time later she heard footsteps again outside the hallway to the Infirmary. But instead of Jayne this time Kaylee walked in quietly.

"Captain has ordered you to your bunk" Kaylee wasn't used to giving orders and Zoe could tell that she was feeling a bit shy about telling the second-in-command what to do.

"I'm fine" Zoe replied but not as forcefully as with Jayne. She knew that she had to sleep sometime and since Wash was asleep it was probably good to do it now. He was bound to wake up again before they reached the med unit and she wanted to be around when that happened. With the captain at the helm she was the next most qualified to handle medical necessities. She also knew that if Wash did wake up it wasn't going to be pleasant as he was bound to be in a lot of pain. Things unfortunately were going to get worse before they got him to med care and she knew it would be better if she was well rested when that happened. _Better to sleep now so I can be of better use then. _

Kaylee hadn't responded and simply stood there with her hands on her hips. Zoe had a feeling that even if she hadn't decided to go her ownself she'd probably have a battle on her hands with the mechanic right now. Though she had to admit the she sure felt a lot better leaving Wash to Kaylee's kind attention rather than Jayne's.

"Okay. I'll just rest for a few minutes and come back and relieve you" Zoe said getting up.

"Nope. Captain says you need a few hours. Now don't you worry none cuz I already been to my bunk. I got to catch a few winks already and once I'm done covering for you I'm gonna take the helm back from the captain so's he can get some shut-eye too"

"So go on now, git" Kaylee started shooing Zoe from the Infirmary like a recalcitrant fly out of the mess hall. Zoe smiled a little at that and allowed herself to be forced out of the room. She headed straight to her bunk and was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

For the next couple hours Kaylee sat at Wash's bedside. She had brought a couple books with her and kept herself busy reading them so that she wouldn't be tempted to fall asleep. Every minute or so she would pop her head out of her book and look at him to make sure he was still breathing. She knew that he wasn't injured all that seriously but she still felt very nervous about being in charge so just had to keep checking on him to reassure herself that he was okay.

Wash slept fairly quietly though he did fuss feverishly a few times, upsetting the blankets tucked around him so carefully by Zoe. When this happened Kaylee would put down her book and gently cover him once again. She also found a cloth and wiped his brow a few times, noting the heat from his skin as she did so.

Kaylee was reading a particularly exciting passage in her book when Wash started muttering weakly. Then his eyes flew open.

"Zoe?"

Kaylee smiled at that. She had noticed how reluctant Zoe had been to leave Wash's side and now she could see that the pilot was missing her as well. Walking closer to his bedside so he could see her, she put a calming hand on his shoulder.

"Zoe's sleepin' right now, Wash. She set me to watchin' ya in her stead. How're you feelin'?"

Wash smiled weakly. "Well I'm feeling a lot like I got kicked in the ribs by an exceptionally strong-hooved mule. Other than that, I'm great" he replied. He tried to turn over to lie on his back but soon discovered that was a huge mistake as pain ripped through him. _Okay, maybe I'll just stay on my side a little longer. _

Kaylee smiled in quick sympathy and helped Wash stay on his side, adjusting his pillows to make him more comfortable.

"Is that better?" she asked.

"Yeah, thanks" Wash said. But Kaylee noted that he was still looking very unhappy (not that she blamed him of course). She wanted to help but didn't quite know what to do. Zoe had said that he couldn't have any more painkillers as they were worried more would slow his breathing down too much. She started feeling really helpless when suddenly an idea came to her.

"Be right back, you just sit tight okay?" Before Wash could even reply she was off like a flash. He heard her trotting away and within a minute or two she was back. He was facing away from the doorway so couldn't see her but heard her as she walked closer to his bed.

"I brought you some visitors. Thought they might make you feel better" Kaylee said brightly upon entering. Wash really didn't want to see anyone (especially not Jayne) and besides; who else was on board other than the crew?

Kaylee came around to his side of the bed and Wash found himself face to face with...his dinosaurs. A slow grin spread across his lips and if not for the knowledge that even one chuckle would cause a ton of pain in his condition, would have laughed out loud.

"Thanks Kaylee" Wash said as she set the toys in front of him on the bed. Immediately he felt better as he picked them up and made them start fighting. These little guys had been with him a long time and always made him feel better. He was happy to see that they helped even with a gunshot wound to the gut. That wasn't ever something he thought they could do and he was duly impressed by their seemingly never-ending talent.

Kaylee sat back down to read her book, listening with a happy smirk as Wash continued to growl and fight with his friends. After a while she realized that it had grown very quiet and got up to investigate. Tiptoeing around the bed she found Wash sound asleep with both dinos clutched in his arms. Covering her mouth to keep her giggle from waking him up, she went back to her chair.

---------

Zoe woke up with a start and sat straight up in her bed. For a few moments she sat there disoriented and not sure why she was so on guard. It was as if she was supposed to be worried about something but couldn't remember what it was.

Then it hit her.

Jumping out of bed and pausing just long enough to put on her boots (for she had fallen into bed otherwise fully clothed) Zoe ran for the Infirmary. She slowed to a fast walk as she neared not wanting to alarm Wash if he was awake or Kaylee either for that matter.

Walking in she found Kaylee reading a book on one side of the room in the chair Zoe had set there. Kaylee looked up and smiled to let her know that everything was okay. Wanting to see for herself, Zoe continued around to the other side of the bed and there beheld a rather unusual sight. Wash was sleeping fairly soundly and clutched in his arms were two of his toy dinosaurs. With his hair rumpled and his face completely relaxed with sleep Zoe thought he looked like a little boy.

Kaylee smiled at the sudden look of tenderness on Zoe's face and quietly got up to leave. Zoe noticed her once again and asked about her patient.

"Did he wake up? Was he in much pain?" Zoe asked.

"Yes for just a bit but it wasn't too bad. Once I gave him his little dinos he fell right back to sleep almost like a little babe" Kaylee replied and headed again for the door. She was anxious to relieve the Captain as she knew he'd been at the helm for hours now.

"Thank you Kaylee" Zoe said and the mechanic nodded a silent reply, smiling kindly as she left.

Zoe checked Wash and noted that his breathing and heart rate, while both slightly accelerated, were steady and regular. His fever was about the same as before but she was happy to note that it hadn't gotten too much worse. _Just a few more hours, Wash. Hang on and we'll get you fixed up right as rain. _

Once assured that Wash was alright for the moment, she settled into the chair vacated by Kaylee and pulled the blanket back around her once again.

Zoe must have dozed off because the next thing she heard was a raspy voice calling out for her.

"Zoe?" Wash's voice was hollow and weak.

Zoe jumped out of her chair and ran to his side. She was dismayed to see the peaceful look he wore just an hour or so ago was gone. His skin was flushed and his eyes were shiny with a high burning fever.

"I'm right here, Wash. How do you feel?" Zoe asked as she headed to the sink. She quickly got a towel from the cabinet and put it under the cool tap. Bringing it back to his bed she then applied the cool cloth to his head.

Wash wasn't sure which hurt to tell her about first. His side and back ached with a pulsing beat deep down to his gut. But his head hurt too with a terrible headache and he felt alternately boiling hot and freezing all at the same time.

"Okay I guess. My side hurts and I'm kind feeling all sorts of hot and cold all at the same time" Wash noted that Zoe's eyes immediately looked more troubled. "Is that bad?" he asked.

"It can be. Probably means that you're starting an infection with that bullet still stuck in your innards" Zoe was never one to hold back the truth when it needed to be said. But she didn't want to panic Wash so quickly followed this rather alarming news with some hope for him.

"But don't you worry none. Captain's been running Serenity at full burn since you got hit and now we're getting mighty close to a med unit. So's even if your insides are causing problems you just got a little while longer before you're in their care and fixed up" Zoe said reassuringly.

Wash wasn't sure how much longer he could "hold on" but he had little choice so tried to relax again. It was harder than before and he found that he just couldn't go back to sleep this time. His side ached more and more and soon his chest hurt terribly with every breath he tried to take. After a while he wasn't sure he wanted to breathe at all, it was just so hard. So very hard. After struggling for a little while like that things started to go black. _Maybe I'm falling asleep again. That's good_, he thought. _I need to sleep…._

----

"Good news folks. We're about 15 minutes out from the med unit and Kaylee already called ahead to let them know they've got themselves a new patient arriving lickity-split" Mal walked into the room and though his words were for both his first-mate and his pilot, addressed Zoe directly.

"Told you everything would be fine, didn't I?" Mal asked Zoe and she felt so relieved that she almost (but not quite) laughed.

"Yes sir, you were right once again. How does it feel to be right so often?" Zoe asked and Mal laughed.

"It feels mighty fine" he said and still grinning with relief turned to his pilot.

"So whattya think Wash? Ready to get that hole of yours fixed up?"

Wash didn't respond and Mal thought he was asleep. He was thinking Zoe would give him what-for if he woke up the pilot but when he saw Wash's face he suddenly didn't care.

"Wash!" Mal called and gently shook the other pilot's shoulder, not wanting to hurt the injured man but wanting him to respond.

Zoe saw Mal's face and as he ran to Wash's side she was right behind him. She looked down and in horror realized that Wash wasn't breathing properly at all. It was obvious immediately that the bullet or a piece of bone had moved despite her careful bandaging. Whichever it was now appeared to have caused one of Wash's lungs to collapse. A mixture of fear and remorse hit her at once_. I heard him having trouble breathing but I thought it was just from the pain of the wound. I should have known he was in serious trouble._

"Zoe!" Mal called and snapped Zoe from her thoughts. "Get the oxygen kit now!"

Zoe quickly pulled out the tank and the mask. She came back and the two of them carefully rolled Wash on his back and put a pillow behind his neck to tip his head upwards and help his airway. They put the mask to his face and turned the tank on to give him more oxygen and help his uninjured lung do the work of two. Wash's chest rose and fell in an uneven rhythm and they could see that he was gasping for every ounce of air.

While Zoe held the mask in place she spoke to Wash, tears running unabashedly down her face.

"Wash, listen to me. You gotta just keep breathing for me okay?" Zoe said and put a hand on his forehead. Wash's eyes were closed and though he was unconscious she knew he could hear her, somehow she just knew it.

"We're almost there, okay? Just a little while longer and you'll be alright" she said, trying to keep her voice from cracking. She didn't care what Mal thought but she didn't want to worry Wash by letting him know she was crying. She knew her strength would help him, not weakness.

Meanwhile Mal had run to the 'com unit on the wall and called to Kaylee in the cockpit.

"Kaylee!"

"Yes, Captain?" Kaylee's voice was small and tinny through the device.

"Do whatever you can to talk to Serenity and see if she can give us a little more speed. We got us a pilot who is going down fast" Mal told her and heard her sharp intake of breath even through the unit.

"Yes sir! She'll give us more! Even if I gotta take it outta her myself!" With that Kaylee was gone and almost immediately Mal could have sworn he felt the deck plates vibrate under his feet as Kaylee spoke to Serenity and got her to move even faster.

Mal turned back to find Zoe stroking Wash's forehead with one hand while holding the oxygen mask steady to his mouth and nose with the other. She was telling him to hold on for a little while longer and he saw that her tears had settled on Wash's pillow beside the other man's closed eyes.

"Zoe" he said softly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He didn't think she'd ever feel something so strongly for someone this fast but then again he was beginning to think that their new pilot wasn't just any "someone". The man had shown great strength to survive this long with nary a complaint and Mal hadn't been so sure he could do it. Also he had seen great character in Wash in his acceptance of Jayne's cantankerous behavior. Not many would have put up with it for so long without either quitting or running to the captain for help. No, this wasn't just any ordinary pilot.

So he supposed it shouldn't surprise him that his first mate should start to fall for him. _Gorramit though, now we might just lose him. _

Zoe ignored Mal's hand on her shoulder and kept talking to Wash. She didn't know how but somehow she knew that he could hear her and that he was holding on for her. She felt that if she stopped talking then he'd stop breathing so she couldn't stop, not even for a second.

Suddenly static came over the 'com followed quickly by Kaylee's excited voice.

"Captain! We're here! I called them and they've got a team coming to meet you. They want you to bring Wash on a stretcher to the cargo door right now!"

Quickly and without a word to the other, Zoe and Mal put the stretcher under Wash and snapped it together. They carried him out of the Infirmary to the cargo hold with Mal at his feet and Zoe at his head, still talking to him the whole way.

Kaylee's timing was perfect. As soon as Zoe and Mal arrived at the cargo door they felt Serenity land softly and the door started to open immediately. Before it was completely down Mal and Zoe were down the ramp and headed towards the emergency entrance practically in front of them. The emergency door opened before they got to it and a group of doctors and nurses were there with a gurney.

Wash was transferred swiftly and a new ox'unit strapped to his face in a matter of seconds. After quickly briefing the doctors on Wash's condition Mal watched as he was whisked away down the hall. He looked at Zoe and put an arm around her shoulders.

"He'll be fine now, Zo. These are some good doctors and they'll take good care of him" Mal said. Zoe didn't reply but kept watching the doors where Wash had disappeared.

-------

Within hours they had word that Wash would be fine. The docs had managed to remove the bullet and repair the damage to his ribs and lung. They reported that it hadn't hit any other vital organs which had been really lucky.

Mal and Zoe returned to the ship once they had word that Wash was going to be okay and were just about attacked by Kaylee when their feet hit the ramp. She had been ordered to take Serenity off the front lawn of the medical building and park her in the docking area. Strictly speaking ships weren't supposed to park quite that close to the entrance and she had taken some time to calm everyone down and assure them that they weren't a bunch of maniacs hell-bent on robbing the med center. That had been a while ago and Kaylee had been waiting anxiously for word ever since.

"So? Is he okay? Did they get to him in time? Is he gonna be alright?" Kaylee fired at them both as she ran down the ramp to meet them. Mal nodded and put a hand on her arm to pacify her a bit.

"Yep, docs say he's gonna be right as rain in a few days. T'aint nothing we can do now but wait and let him heal up some. He just got outta surgery so no one can see him yet" Mal replied and Kaylee hugged him with glee and relief.

"You guys did great fixing him up like you did. I betcha he wouldn't made it without it" Kaylee said to Zoe and Mal as they all walked up the gangway. Mal noticed that Jayne was conspicuously absent and it surprised him a little. He knew Jayne didn't particularly like their new pilot but he didn't think the man wished Wash any ill will. What was Jayne thinking?

The next day Mal received word that Wash was doing well and would probably be ready to leave the med unit the following morning. This particular med unit was not Alliance run and in fact most of their business came from folk like Mal and his crew. Most of the medical and surgical staff had been employed by big hospitals and had become disenchanted with the whole process of dealing with the Alliance telling them how they could treat their patients. Many had gotten together and started up these smaller, private hospitals and specialized in treating people in Mal's line of work.

They made their facilities readily available and ran their business on a strict "don't ask" basis. They also specialized in speedy recovery times and letting patients go when other docs might see fit to have them stay a little longer to cover their own back-sides. Docs in these kinds of facilities knew that folk needed to get back to work quick-like and were willing to let people go as soon as possible.

So the next morning Zoe and Mal headed from the docks back to the hospital on the mule to get their pilot. Serenity was parked almost a mile away and they had brought the mule knowing that their dinosaur-loving friend wasn't gonna be up to walking that far just two days post-op.

Mal had already arranged payment with the facility so they were able to just walk straight into Wash's room to get him.

Wash had been resting in bed when he heard distinctive boots stepping down the hall. He smiled to himself as he recognized both Mal and Zoe's footsteps. He went to sit up quickly as he was excited to leave and hissed as he pulled on his new stitches.

Mal and Zoe walked in right then and Zoe immediately went to Wash's side, helping him up.

"Be careful there Wash. We just got you all sewed up and I don't rightly feel like having to put you back together myself" Mal said jovially and walked over and shook Wash's hand. "Good job on getting well so fast. We got us a mess of work lined up and I don't think Kaylee likes me flying 'her' ship as much as she does you" he said as the three of them headed for the door.

Zoe silently put Wash's arm around her shoulders and he leaned on her for support. She was so strong that he knew it wasn't a bother to her at all and he appreciated the help. They didn't say anything and just smiled shyly at each other. Something had changed between them during the tragedy of Wash getting shot but neither of them was ready to talk about it just yet. They each were quiet as Mal continued to chatter all the way out the door. Once they reached the mule, Mal and Zoe both gave Wash a hand and hauled him onto the backseat with as little pain to him as they could manage.

Once they got back to Serenity they found Kaylee waiting for them practically bouncing on her toes in excitement. When she caught sight of Wash on the mule she smiled and started waving like crazy. When they stopped she ran down the ramp and would have tackled the poor man if Mal hadn't put a hand out to stop her.

"Whoa there girl!" Mal said laughingly as he restrained the delighted mechanic. "We just got him all fixed up now. Don't you be jumping on him and breaking him again" Kaylee laughed and with obvious effort, controlled herself into a much more subdued greeting.

"Sorry Wash" she said glowingly. "I'm just that happy t'see ya is all"

"Thanks Kaylee" Wash said and returned her rather checked hug genially. He wasn't quite as delicate as the captain was making out but he did think for a moment there that Kaylee was going to give him a full body tackle when she came flying down the ramp. He was happy that Mal had stopped her but he sure did appreciate the sentiment.

Putting his arm back around Zoe and with the other now around Kaylee, Wash headed up the ramp back onto his ship. Even being off her for a couple days caused him to miss her something awful and he grinned with happiness upon entering the cargo hold.

Everything was great once again and Wash was feeling perfect. That is until…

"Hey looky who it is. The pilot who managed to get his'self all shot up within his first two weeks on the job" Jayne said as he came out from behind one of the walkways having just exited the workout area. He was grinning maliciously.

"You know I think that's gotta be a new record, eh boss?" he asked the captain, continuing on his way to the galley. Mal only glared back in return and was about to open his mouth to give his mercenary what-for when another voice beat him to it.

Wash had decided that he just couldn't take one more bit of mouthing-off from that _houzi de pigu_ and shaking off Kaylee and Zoe's helping arms, stopped in his tracks. He'd taken a bullet for this crew and if that didn't prove to the big brute that he belonged then Wash was going to give him a piece of his mind.

"Hey Jayne!" Wash called after the other man's retreating back. Jayne stopped and turned, obviously surprised at being addressed. He had assumed that Wash would have just ignored his comment, as he had the others. Puzzled, Jayne waited to hear what Wash had to say.

Taking a deep breath and wincing as he did so, Wash proceeded to spew forth a string of Chinese the likes of which hadn't been heard from him yet.

Mal and the others stood with their jaws gaping as Wash managed, in just a few phrases, to put Jayne down to depths none of them had ever heard. His well rounded curse managed to bring up Jayne's sexual preferences (human and otherwise), questioned whether or not his parents were actually married at the time of his conception, compared his intellect to that of a slightly retarded monkey, accused him of explosive flatulence at inappropriate times and even managed to question his fashion sense.

When he was finished with his tirade Wash stopped and took a breath, putting a hand on his side. He knew that he was probably in for the beating of his life but considering the fact that a) he was already in pain and b) hopped up on enough painkillers to take down a horse, it didn't matter much to him. Besides Jayne deserved every bit of it, Wash thought.

Silence stretched out for a few seconds and Wash found himself surreptitiously observing everyone to see their reactions. He hoped that his attack on Jayne wouldn't create any animosity from the other crew and wanted to see what they thought.

Kaylee was standing in stunned silence and Wash wondered if her jaw actually WOULD hit the floor as her mouth was that wide open. She caught Wash watching her and slowly her shocked expression gave way to a sly smile which then became almost a giggle. She stopped it with a hand over her mouth and winked at him. _No problem with her_, Wash thought.

Turning his attention to Zoe, Wash didn't see the abject shock he had seen on Kaylee. Zoe was instead staring him up and down, much as she had the first day they'd met. But this time Wash saw something different in her eyes and it didn't bother him as much. Respect. He could tell that Zoe's opinion of him had probably just grown tenfold. Slowly, she nodded.

Wash turned to Mal last and his reaction was the one he worried about the most. Right away though he saw that he needn't have worried a mite bit.

Though not succeeding very well Mal was doing his best not to laugh his rear-end off. He was holding it in with everything he had as he didn't want Jayne's attention put on him. He didn't want to take away any of this moment from Wash, who deserved every single bit of it. Mal had thought that was about the funniest thing he'd heard in a while and was cursing himself for not having come up with it first. Mal knew now that he'd made the right decision and this here pilot was the perfect addition to his crew. He had noticed Jayne acting like a right fool and treating the newbie badly but when Wash hadn't mentioned it and had even tried to hide it, Mal had decided that the two of them needed to work it out themselves. He knew that Jayne could be an ass and he also knew that the best way to deal with him was to get right back in his face. Jayne respected strength of character and found weakness annoying. You'd earn his respect more if you disagreed with him openly rather than just pretended to agree to keep the peace. It was just his way.

So Mal was very happy to see that Wash had finally stood up for himself and given Jayne what-for._ It's about gorram time_, Mal thought. He gave Wash a wink, still grinning like a jackal.

Finally Wash turned his attention to Jayne. He stood as straight as his aching side would allow and though he only came up to the other man's shoulder he tried to glare right back into his eyes.

Jayne stood in stunned silence for a few moments. Kaylee secretly thought the look on his face reminded her of monkey's she'd once seen in a planet-side zoo. This only got her to giggling again so she quickly looked away once more.

Jayne walked right up to Wash and Mal stopped smiling and got ready to take him down if needed. Wash couldn't beat Jayne on a good day and with that hole in his side he would be down before Jayne had even finished punching him.

But instead of hitting Wash he looked the smaller man straight in the eye and then started roaring with laughter.

"That was a good one" he said. "I ain't never heard a curse like that one a'fore. Looks like we finally got us a pilot who has a pair" and with that he whalloped Wash good naturedly on the back and still laughing uproariously, headed to the galley.

It took all of what little strength Wash had left in him not to react when Jayne smacked him. He was very proud of himself for not screaming like a woman because it hurt just that bad. Oh who was he kidding? He would have screamed like a girl.

Gratefully accepting Zoe's arm Wash limped off to his bunk. He belonged on this crew now and everyone knew it. He also had a beautiful woman on his arm (technically he was on HER arm but he wasn't going to bicker over details) who was smiling at him in a way that told him there just might be something in their future.

Hoban Washburne was a very happy man.


End file.
